Why you shouldn't get nervous in PI?

Personal Interview (PI) is invariably the last stage of the admission process to most reputed management institutes. The candidates who reach this stage know that it’s the last stage of a lengthy arduous process that may make or break their chances of getting into their preferred institutes. Therefore, a lot of nervousness and anxiety is likely to be experienced by the candidates going into the Personal Interview. But, the candidates who control their nervousness and turn it into their strength are the ones who stand a better chance of making it.

Nervousness clouds judgment

The reason you shouldn’t allow nervousness to dominate you is because nervousness can put you in a negative frame of mind and cloud your judgement. When you are nervous, you are unable to make sound decisions and decide the best course of action rationally. You begin to think more about failing than succeeding. Your mind is dominated by negative thoughts and all your responses are shaped by this. Hence, candidates shouldn’t allow themselves to get nervous.

Lack of confidence=Nervousness

One of the causes as well as consequences of nervousness is lack of confidence. Candidates who are not confident about themselves or their soft skills are likely to feel nervous about facing the interview panel. Their lack of confidence will undermine their performance. On the other hand, candidates who are nervous, will invariably suffer from a lack of confidence and self- belief. Candidates shouldn’t get nervous in PI as it has a direct impact on their self- confidence.

Not the end of the world

As important as it is for the candidates, the interview is not the end of the world for them and treating it thus, will only add to the pressure. Candidates should not think of PI as the be all and end all of life, which they are likely to do if they are nervous. Although crucial, the interview for admission in a particular course in a particular institute is just one of the many options available to the candidates. All they need to do is to explore and put things in perspective. A nervous candidate will begin to think of the interview as the only option available hence, would take upon too much pressure.

Nervousness Stops You from Being Yourself

The aim of PI is to know the candidates more intimately and judge their suitability for the given course in the given institute. A nervous candidate will pose hurdle in this process, as he/she will hide his/her true self. The interview panel will find it difficult to get across to a nervous candidate, and would not be able to assess the true personality of such a candidate. Therefore, candidates should try to be as normal as they can show their true selves to help the interview panel decide in their favour.

Turn Nervousness into Strength

It is normal to be nervous while facing PI, because of expectations and the unpredictability of questions. But candidates can use this nervousness to their advantage. They can turn the nervousness into their strength by using it to motivate themselves and remind themselves of their goals.

It’s quite fine to feel a bit of nervousness while giving PI, but you should not allow this nervousness to get the better of you.